Digicel Tonga

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Digicel upgraded its backbone microwave links to the Island of Vava’u. Additionally, Digicel installed its first O3b terminal in Tonga with O3b hardware installed and put into operation in Vava'u (O3b is a satellite constellation owned and operated by SES, and designed to provide low-latency internet connectivity to remote locations).

By combining microwave and satellite network capacity, high-speed internet and fibre-like capacity and speeds are now available to the residents of Vava'u and two types of links ensure they always have access to some form of capacity.

With the help of Lord Tangi, Associate Professor Philip McCahy, FRACS travelled from Australia with the first Lithoclast intelligent equipment to instruct and train medical professionals in operating rooms.

Partnering in with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), together with MORDI Tonga Trust in providing cash assistance for 800 families in Tonga who were directly affected by the recent crisis, the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and tsunami that occurred in Tonga on 15^th January. 

The programme is supported by the National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) and Tonga’s Recovery and Resilience Building Plan and is financed by the United National Central Emergency Recovery Fund (UN-CERF).

The cash assistance programme addresses the urgent needs of 800 families, with each family receiving TOP$489 (USD 220). If two or three nuclear families are living together in one house, each family is treated separately and are eligible to receive the cash assistance individually.

The Digicel team started its community outreach by visiting homes that were affected in Ha’atafu, Kanokupolu, ‘Ahau, Sopu, Popua and Patangata with food packs and water after the eruption and tsunami on January 15th. The team also visited Holty’s Hideaway, Vakaloa Beach Resort, Liku’alofa Beach Resort, Heilala Lodge, Fafa Island Resort, Pangaimotu Island Resort, Ha’atafu Beach Resort and Royal Sunset Beach Resort to donate $8500 TOP to each resort to help with the rebuild of their businesses.

Digicel’s CEO visited Holty's Hideaway, Vakaloa Beach Resort, Heilala Holiday Lodge, Fafa Island Resort Tonga, Ha'atafu Beach Resort, Liku'alofa Beach Resort, Pangaimotu Island Resort & Royal Sunset Island Resort on Atata Island to donate and help them in these difficult times offering $8,500 to each resort.

Anthony Seuseu, CEO of Digicel Tonga said; “Digicel is blessed as a team and as an organization to be involved in giving back to the community. It is humbling to be welcomed into the homes of people across the country.”

The team had to travel to the remote site to assess the situation, carry out repairs and restore communication from Kao to Vava’u, Tongatapu and Ha’apai.

The tower at Kao is the link to connect the three island groups and it’s vital to pass communication onto these islands.

The Kao site was built in 2016.

Kao Island is a 45-minute flight from Tonga’s international airport.

The team had not visited Kao in the last two years, neither had they used this medium of communication since 2019 when the fiber was cut for the first time.

The Kingdom was brought offline after a break in the international undersea cable which connects Tonga with Fiji and then to rest of the world, because of a volcanic eruption last month.

The cable had multiple faults and breaks due to the volcanic activity and the submarine repair vessel worked for more than 2 weeks to fix it.

Digicel Tonga CEO, Anthony Seuseu, said that incidents related to submarine cables are considered a force majeure, which presents a challenge for local network operators.

Joining Sai Prema Foundation in this effort are Life Flight Fiji, Digicel Tonga, Punjas Fiji and YachtAid Global who have all come together to help the people of Tonga.

The relief packs are basic essential food items to assist the families affected. Sai Prema Foundation Director said that the Foundation saw it as their duty to help the people of Tonga.